Red Raspberry Ice Cream

Raspberries belong to the rose family of plants, which houses some of the world's most beloved fruits including apples, apricots, blackberries, cherries, loquats, peaches, pears, plums, and strawberries. Almonds also belong to this diverse family of plants. Among United States consumers, raspberries are the third most popular berry and follow right after strawberries and blueberries.

There are over 200 species of raspberries, all belonging to the scientific genus called Rubus. However, many of the raspberry species that are grown commercially can be placed into one of three basic groups: red raspberries, black raspberries, and purple raspberries.

Scientists aren't sure about the origins of raspberries. Wild raspberries appear on at least five continents, and there is enormous species diversity for this fruit. Some arctic species of raspberry are native to Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and northern Asia; other species are native to eastern Asia and the Hawaiian islands; still others are native to Europe or to North America. In terms of their first cultivation, we have evidence dating back about 2,000 years in Europe, making raspberries one of the earliest berry crops. Natural trading and traveling may have been important in the spread of raspberries, for example, into North American from eastern Asia across the Bering Strait.

When cultivated raspberries are compared with wild raspberries, they turn out to be quite similar in terms of total phenols and total anthocyanin content. This similarity is especially true when the cultivated raspberries have also been organically grown. Although we might tend to think about a "wild" food as being more rich in nutrients than a cultivated food, this distinction does not hold true for raspberries when it comes to their phenol and anthocyanin antioxidants.

Raspberries rank high on the list of the world's most popular berries. Among the 400,000 metric tons of raspberries produced worldwide, Russia, the United States, Serbia, Chile and Poland rank among the top producers. In the United States, it's the West Coast that is most active in raspberry production, although commercial producers can be found across the country. Interestingly, well over 500 organic farms in the U.S. are now certified for organic raspberry production, and raspberries rank as the third most popular fresh use berry in the U.S. following strawberries and blueberries. The United States also imports about 15,000 metric tons of raspberries from Mexico to meet consumer demand for this fruit.

Research Source: WH Foods

 

Who doesn’t love ice cream? Now you can make your own ice cream. No ice cream maker need for this Red Raspberry Ice Cream recipe.

Red Raspberry Ice Cream

Copyrighted 2013, Christine’s Pantry. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen red raspberry

1 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons chocolate cacao powder

2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve as is for soft serve or freeze 3 to 4 hours to harden ice cream. Enjoy!